By Staff Contributor.
Everyday on my back home I see mothers sitting on the side of the road with their children begging, relying on the mercy of passers. Some mothers be carrying two babies in the front and on the back while they have other older children following them around. People now and then reach out to their pockets and toss a change. Some give them bread but it is so many of them and whatever given doesn’t seem to suffice. Plus a loaf of a bread isn’t going to keep their hungry stomach at bay but it is better than nothing. Sometimes the children get too much following passers and pulling their clothes and people who have experienced this become reluctant to give anything. They even argue with those who gives saying they are actually reinforcing their behavior. And they are going to keep coming for more. Some intentionally keep their kids from getting financial aid so they would use them for this purpose. They became their instrument as a result they don’t send them to school or get adopted by someone who can provide them a better life.
I feel like we have failed these people as a society. We were supposed to give them shelter, food, protection and education but we couldn’t. After all, these are their basic human rights. Everybody is struggling so we don’t really take the time to look at these people and when we did there is nothing more to give aside from sympathy. But I know there are many Ethiopians out there who want to help. I think the government should step its efforts to give housing and provide other basic necessities to these people. Many of them came from the various regions of the country side either fleeing from crisis (instability) or hoping to find a better life here. Little did they know they were going to suffer? I wonder if they ever think about going back to where they come from.
I remember when I was in high school, there was a movement that aimed to collect 1birr from each individual so shelters will be built for beggars. I don’t remember what happened to the project but I remember being hopeful for change. We should bring such initiative back. Imagine if everyone can chip in 1birr or even two birr, the population of Ethiopia is a little over a 100 million. Of course there will be exceptions as there could be people who won’t be able to donate such as children or those who are already living on the streets total so if at least half of the population which is 50 million gives two birr, it will be 100 million. but I feel like that money can be used to build a center where these people can be supported in. As the proverbial wisdom remarks ‘’give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.’’ It is important to come up with a plan that can address the problem in the long term sustainably. It wouldn’t hurt to have a public dialogue on how as a society all of us can contribute in addressing the issue. I know many Diasporas will jump in the opportunity to help, they are already helping out their family here so they wouldn’t mind chipping for a noble cause. If every diaspora can donate at least a dollar each, according to connectingdiaspora.org, there are over 2.5 million Ethiopians live outside of their country, again for whatever reasons only one million can give a dollar each and that will be a million dollars which is more than 50 million birr plus the money that will be collected from locals, and if that money is used and invested on projects that can alleviate the problem of the these people. It would make an immense difference.
Furthermore, NGOs, the government and concerning bodies should focus on long-term stability that empowers these individuals: microfinance initiatives and skills training programs such as tailoring, soap-making, or small-scale agriculture offered by NGOs that foster economic independence, while access to psychosocial support as well. Continued education for both mothers and children is paramount; childcare services enable mothers to attend literacy programs or vocational training. If all of us could come together have a public dialogue on ways when we could help them to reintegrate them in society so they would become productive citizens that contribute to the growth of the country. Their children will grow up to be educated and contribute to the society. by doing that, the nation will move forward and will be able to get out of poverty.